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Win and In: Mrázová Sends Ottawa to the Playoffs in Overtime

Kateřina Mrázová’s overtime winner sent the Ottawa Charge to their first-ever playoff berth.

Win and In: Mrázová Sends Ottawa to the Playoffs in Overtime
Kateřina Mrázová and Hannah Miller on the ice at Coco-Cola Coliseum. (Photo Credit: PWHL)

The Ottawa Charge stepped onto the ice Saturday in Toronto with one thing in mind: win and they’re in. Lose, and their playoff fate would hang in the balance, waiting on the outcome of Minnesota’s matchup against Boston.

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Much like last season, the Charge found themselves in a high-stakes regular-season finale in Toronto. And just like last season, they needed everything to go right. But this time, the story had a different ending.

The first period offered little action, just four shots per team, but things came alive in the second. Toronto broke the silence first, with Sarah Nurse burying a slick backhand-to-forehand move over Gwyneth Philips’ glove.

Just 53 seconds later, Ottawa answered. A clean passing play set up captain Brianne Jenner at the backdoor, with assists from Shiann Darkangelo and Tereza Vanišová, knotting things up at one apiece.

As Minnesota built a comfortable lead over Boston, a single point wouldn’t be enough for Ottawa.

In the final minutes of regulation, Toronto surged. But Gwyneth Philips was unshakable. Calm, focused, and dialed in, Philips kept the game tied and gave Ottawa the chance to seize their fate.

Then came the hero.

Kateřina Mrázová, playing in just her fourth game back from injury, flew down the ice on a two-on-one with Ronja Savolainen. With just under three minutes remaining in overtime, she fired a top-shelf snipe from the slot to clinch the game, and Ottawa’s first-ever PWHL playoff berth.

“Emily Clark made a good play to bounce the puck, and Ronja jumped into the play to make it a two-on-one,” Mrázová said. “It was an exciting moment. A relief. I wanted to skate all the way back to Gwyneth Philips, but at the same time, the whole group was coming. I’m just so happy for the group. We worked so hard. I’m proud of everyone.”

Jocelyne Larocque echoed that sentiment: “This group is really special. We worked so hard today, and I think we got the outcome that we deserved. So, it feels good and we're looking forward to the playoffs!”

As the puck hit the back of the net, fans in Ottawa at a watch party jumped to their feet in a wave of pure joy, celebrating the team’s historic playoff berth. The eruption of cheers captured exactly what this team has come to mean to the city.

The 2–1 victory secured Ottawa the third seed, ending Toronto’s win streak and extending the Charge’s road dominance to four straight. Philips stopped 13 of 14 shots, while Kristen Campbell made 23 saves for the Sceptres.

Saturday’s win marked a full-circle moment. Last season, the Charge’s playoff hopes ended in heartbreak in the same city. This time, they left the ice with celebration, and a playoff ticket.

With the standings now finalized, all eyes turn to first-place Montréal, who hold the power to choose their semifinal opponent, Ottawa or Minnesota. Their decision will be announced Sunday at 6 p.m. ET during a special edition of Jocks in Jills on thepwhl.com and the PWHL YouTube channel.

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